US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dialled Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately on Wednesday and spoke about the rising tension in the wake of recent terrorist attact in Jammu and Kashmir, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. Rubio asked Islamabad to cooperate in probing the "unconscionable" terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were brutally killed. 

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The attack, which was orchestrated by terrorists linked to an organisation based in Pakistan, led to rising tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. Rubio has encouraged both sides to take steps to de-escalate the situation, re-establish direct communications and maintain peace and security in South Asia, the statement added. 

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Rubio, during his call with Sharif, asked Pakistan to condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam as an official statement by the US noted that both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence, which Pakistan has failed to do so far. 

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The official statement mentioned that during his call with Jaishankar, Rubio expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the US commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism. 

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In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with the US Secretary Marco Rubio yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice." 

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